I get the impression the plating issues arose after Triumph started production in the far-east. I have 3 Hinckley built units that are all pretty old. No plating problems here. My NEWEST bike is 17 years old. ...J.D.
I have a 67 plate Explorer, which has never seen rain, but the spokes look tatty.( yes i do clean them) I mentioned this to a dealer who contacted Triumph, who said the spokes are nickel plated and the finish is a "sacrificial finish", whatever that means??
